Bohemian-style absinth

Bohemian-style absinth (also called Czech-style absinthe, anise-free absinthe, or just “absinth” (without the “e”)) is best described as a wormwood bitters. It is produced mainly in the Czech Republic, from which it gets its designations as “Bohemian” or “Czech,” although not all absinthe from the Czech Republic is Bohemian-style. [http://www.praguepost.com/articles/2006/04/26/worthy-of-their-name.php Worthy of their name] The Prague Post, 26 April 2006; retrieved 20 May 2007.]

Bohemian-style absinth contains little or none of the anise, fennel, and other herbs that are found in traditional absinthe. It is usually bitterer than absinthe because it contains more absinthine. It is usually not produced by means of distillation; instead, high-proof alcohol is cold-mixed with herbal essences (oils) and colorants. [ [http://www.absint.net/lor L'Or special drinks] ; retrieved 20 May 2007.]

Typical Bohemian-style absinth has two similarities with its traditional counterpart, in that it contains wormwood and has a high alcohol content.

Contemporary Czech producers claim absinth has been produced in the Czech Republic since the 1920s, [ [http://www.hillsabsinth.com/history-thennow.htm Hill’s absinth history] ; retrieved 20 May 2007.] but there is no independent evidence to support these claims. Since there are currently few legal definitions of absinthe, producers have taken advantage of its romantic "belle époque" associations and psychoactive reputation to market their products under a similar name. Many of these producers heavily stress the thujone content of their absinth,exploiting the myths and half-truths that surround thujone even though none of these absinths contains enough of it to cause a noticeable effect.

A few Czech products claim to have high levels of thujone that would make them illegal to sell anywhere in the world. [http://www.absinthesupply.net/products/zele-premium.html/| Zele absinth] A thujone content beyond EU regulations; retrieved 20 May 2007.] [ [http://www.absint.net/products/king_of_spirits L'Or King of Spirits GOLD] A thujone content beyond EU regulations; retrieved 20 May 2007.] Some of the most expensive Czech products go to the extent of macerating wormwood inside the bottle; this procedure is quite similar to that of an absinthe kit. [ [http://www.absint.net/absinth Production] ; retrieved 20 May 2007.]

The “fire ritual”

Bohemian-style absinth lacks many of the oils that are present in authentic absinthe; these are the oils which create the louche. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20070315212417/http://www.lafeeabsinthe.com/acatalog/lafeeabsinthbohemian.htm La Fée Bohemian description] Bohemian absinth does not louche (Internet archive); retrieved 31 August 2007.] A modern ritual involving fire is often used, which takes this into account. In the “fire ritual,” absinth is poured into a glass, and a sugar cube on a slotted spoon is placed over the glass. The sugar cube is then soaked with absinth and is set on fire. The cube is then dropped into the absinth, setting it ablaze. Then water is poured over the flame until it goes out. Usually, a 1:1 ratio of water to absinth is used. [ [http://www.lafeeabsinthe.com/bohemian.php Fire ritual] Demonstration of the fire ritual; retrieved 20 May 2007.] This procedure produces a minor simulation of the louche that is seen in traditional absinthe, and the low water-to-alcohol ratio increases the strength of the resulting drink. (A traditional absinthe drink is diluted with water to a ratio between 3:1 and 5:1.)

Some people claim that this is an old, traditional ritual, but there is little evidence to support this. The fire ritual first appeared in advertisements after having been seen in a Prague bar in the late 1990s. [ [http://www.feeverte.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=2880&st=0&p=100509&entry100509 Origin of the fire ritual] Alan Moss explains at Feeverte.net how the Czech ritual was first used to promote Bohemian-style absinth; retrieved 11 May 2006.] It has been accepted as historical fact by many people, largely because it has been shown in several contemporary films. [E.g., the fire ritual scene in "From Hell".]

Most drinkers of authentic absinthe scorn the fire ritual, saying that it spoils the flavor of absinthe. [ [http://www.feeverte.net/faq-absinthe.html Fée Verte FAQ] §18 What about setting the sugar on fire? Retrieved 20 May 2007.]

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